Electrical connectors are employed in pairs, with each connector in the pair comprising a non-conductive housing with a plurality of electrically conductive terminals securely mounted therein. The housings of a pair of electrical connectors are constructed to mate with one another such that the terminals of one connector in the pair achieve high quality electrical connection with the corresponding terminals of the other connector in the pair.
Many electrical connectors are employed in high vibration environments, such as the many electrical connectors used in automobiles. The housings of electrical connectors intended for high vibration environments must be positively locked in the mated condition to ensure that vibrations do not move the terminals out of optimum electrical contact. The typical prior art locking means for such connectors includes at least one latch molded as part of one of the housings. More particularly, the housing of a prior art connector may include a plurality of resiliently deflectable latches for engaging corresponding locking structures on the housing of a mating connector. The latch typically will be constructed to deflect automatically during mating of the electrical connectors. Upon complete mating, however, the latch will advance beyond the locking structure of the mating connector and will resiliently return toward an undeflected condition to positively engage the opposed locking structure and retain the connectors in their mated condition. The latches of these prior art connectors may further include actuator means to enable the latch to be deflected into a position that is free of the locking structure on the connector, to enable separation or unmating of the connectors.
Potential problems with the locking means on electrical connectors have been recognized in the prior art. For example, it is known that some latches on electrical connectors may be overdeflected during mating or unmating. Such overdeflection may prevent the latch from resiliently returning toward an undeflected condition, or in extreme cases may sever the latch from its housing. An inoperative latch may enable the connectors to vibrate out of the position corresponding to optimum contact force between the terminals therein.
The latches of such prior art connectors also have functioned as hooks which are susceptible of snagging nearby wires in an electrical system. More particularly, the electrical system of an automobile includes a large number of harness assemblies comprising arrays of wires extending from one connector to another. The latching mechanism on any such connector creates the potential for hooking a wire in another harness assembly during the initial assembly of the system or during subsequent maintenance. A wire could be hooked by either the locking portion of a latch or by the actuating position. The tangling of wires with latches may render the latch substantially inoperative and may prevent complete mating of a pair of electrical connectors or may complicate the unmating of such connectors. A snagged wire could also cause the above described overstress of the latch structure.
The latches of an electrical connector may also function as a trap for debris or dirt that accumulates in many areas of an automobile. For example, debris accumulated under the actuating portion of a latch may make unmating of connectors extremely difficult.
The prior art has included many electrical connectors with latches that attempt to prevent the above identified problems. An extremely desirable latch structure is shown in copending application Ser. No. 399,048 which was filed on Aug. 28, 1989 and which is assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. The latch structure shown in copending application Ser. No. 399,048 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,766 extends deflectably from a body portion of the connector housing. The housing further is provided with nondeflectable walls disposed to define a shroud around deflectable portions of the latch. The shroud is intended to prevent the deflectable latch from snagging wires and further is constructed to prevent overstress of the latch. In all illustrated embodiments, the latch, shroud and housing are unitarily molded. In some embodiments the latch is cantilivered and extends between a pair of generally parallel shroud walls. In these embodiments, the shroud walls extend on opposite sides of the deflectable cantilevered latch to prevent snagging and further extend at least partly over the top of the latch to prevent overdeflection. Other embodiments disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 399,048 show an elongated latch having opposed ends. One end is unitarily connected to the housing while the other end is unitarily connected to the shroud structure. In these embodiments the central portion of the latch is deflectable to lock with a mating connector. The locking structures depicted in copending application Ser. No. 399,048 have performed very well. However, these desirable prior art locking structures often required complex molding processes. Additionally, it is now considered desirable to provide even further shrouding of deflectable components and additional protection against accumulation of debris and overstress of deflectable components.
Another prior art latch for an electrical connector is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,372 which issued to Betsui on June 7, 1988. The connector depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,372 includes a deflectable latch disposed between a pair of parallel shroud side walls. This arrangement of a latch with shroud side walls may prevent the latch from snagging wires of nearby harness assemblies. However, this design does not provide adequate protection against accumulation of debris or against overdeflection of the latch. Furthermore this design does not prevent a wire from being snagged between the latch and a shroud wall thereof. Similar arrangements of a deflectable latch with parallel shroud walls are depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,l35 which issued to Aoyama et al. on Dec. 1, 1987, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,275 which issued to Ikeda et al. on Jan. 31, 1989. In each of these prior art connectors, overstress of the latch, snagging of wires, and accumulation of debris is not adequately protected against.
A slightly different version of a latching structure is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,738 which issued to DeLyon on Apr. 20, 1965. The connector of U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,738 shows a latch structure that is disposed intermediate connector walls defining terminal receiving cavities. The outboard disposition of terminals is considered undesirable in many applications, and would therefore limit the application of this connector design. Furthermore, the means for preventing overstress is awkward and is not entirely effective.
In view of the above, it is an object of the subject invention to provide an electrical connector which enables efficient positive locking to another connector.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide an electrical connector with latch means that cannot be overstressed or overdeflected.
Still a further object of the subject invention is to provide an electrical connector having shrouds for positively preventing hooking of nearby wires by either the locking portion or the actuating portion of the latch.
Yet a further object of the subject invention is to provide an electrical connector that can be manufactured efficiently without complex or costly molds.